BOYS PREP SOCCER: Jacksonville tops Marquette on last-minute goal

Jacksonville’s Steven Albers embraces teammate Trey Cisne after Albers scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute against Marquette Thursday in Jacksonville.

Dennis Mathes, Journal-Courier | For The Telegraph

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville’s Steven Albers had a game he’ll most likely never forget.

Albers broke the school career scoring record with his first goal against Marquette Catholic High on Thursday. Then, with just 51 seconds remaining, Albers headed a corner kick into the net to give the Crimsons a 3-2 victory in Jacksonville.

“That was one of the best feelings I’ve had … by far the best feeling I’ve had this season,” Albers said. “Just to win the game and just play hard together.”

It was a hard-fought game. The Crimsons took 11 shots on goal to Alton Marquette’s three, but the Explorers kept the ball in Jacksonville’s end of the field for a good part of the second half. Jacksonville held a 2-1 lead late, but Alton Marquette finally scored in the 72nd minute to tie it.

With time winding down, Jacksonville had a corner kick, but Alton Marquette’s goalie deflected the shot up and over the net. That gave the Crimsons one more try.

Brandon Hurt took the kick. This time it went directly to Albers, who pounded the ball off his head, past the goalkeeper who had come up close to challenge, and into the back of the net.

“Brandon Hurt played a nice ball across, missed everybody,” Albers said. “I was just lucky enough to be at the back post where the ball came.”

Albers has made a habit lately of scoring on headers off long kicks.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4, so it comes naturally now,” he said. “You just gotta put your head on it and hope for the best sometimes.”

“A lot of guys were in the box there and Steven was able to come up on the end of it,” JHS coach Evan Philpott said. “That’s something that we’ve been talking about for a while now. Just conviction in the box, conviction in the box, and get there and try to give yourself a chance.”

Albers scored his first goal of the match early in the first half. That goal, the 52nd of his high school career, broke a record set by Noah Suter in 2004.

Albers’ first goal Thursday wasn’t quite as dramatic as his second.

“I didn’t really do much,” Albers said. “Ben Leutz got down in the corner, goalie came out, played me the ball and I just tapped it in. Pretty easy finish, but Ben did all the work.

“That was for the career record at JHS,” he said. “I mean, it’s nice to beat that, but it’s better to win the game. It’s a big game. I want to win a regional this year, so I don’t care how many goals I score as long as we win. That’s all that matters.”

The pressure was starting to build as Albers got closer to the record. The senior had been counting down since the season began — and even before that.

“Since freshman year, it was a goal of mine to work as hard as possible, score as many goals as possible,” Albers said. “Then I realized I was close … I mean, go for it.

“I’ve been put on a good team all four years,” he said. “So that really helped me out.”

“I just think, for Steven, he’s a confident player, and if you give him a chance in the box, he’s going to try to do something with it,” Philpott said. “Over the course of his career, he’s been able to be a good goal scorer and we want him to continue that as the season goes.”

Jacksonville’s Nash Oldenettel scored in the 14th minute of the match on an assist by Jack Racey.

It was a big win by any measure. Alton Marquette (6-2) beat the Crimsons in last year’s regional semifinals.

“They beat us in regionals last year, and that’s pretty big to come back and beat them now,” Albers said. “They could end up in our regional, so beating them now is what we need to do to get a better seed, possibly.”

Jacksonville improved to 6-3.

Jacksonville’s Steven Albers embraces teammate Trey Cisne after Albers scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute against Marquette Thursday in Jacksonville.

http://thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_917MarquetteJaxSoc-1.jpgJacksonville’s Steven Albers embraces teammate Trey Cisne after Albers scored the go-ahead goal in the final minute against Marquette Thursday in Jacksonville. Dennis Mathes, Journal-Courier | For The Telegraph